Thank You, Lance

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Keith: I wake up still feeling loopy. "Huh, wh-what time is it?" I look around to see a change in my room. Wait no.... this isn't my room. I sit up and hear footsteps in the bathroom. The bathroom door opens and Lance emerges. Huh!? "L-Lance?" He smiles. "Yeah? What do you need?" I look around again. Then that means....THIS IS HIS ROOM! I get off the bed and wave. "Um, Ima go. I have to train yeah lots of training." He chuckles as he grabs my shoulder. "No need to go so quickly. How you feeling?" I turn my head. "I wasn't sick." He shrugs. "You were around the illness though." I look at my hands. "I feel fine. Don't worry about it." He smiles. "Alright, have fun training; I guess." I nod. "Y-Yeah." I leave his room and bump into something. "Wha-" "Oh Keith, surprised to see you." I look up to see Shiro. "Sh-Shiro!?" "Yeah?" My heart starts racing. "Is Lance OK? I came to check up on him." I violently nod. "I just came to check him too and he looks way better. He even sounds healthy!" Shiro looks at the door, then me. "Glad to know he's feeling better." I nod. "Yeah, hey why don't you and I train?" Shiro smiles. "I'd be happy to." I smile. "Let's go!" 

                We walk to the main training room. "It's rare for you to want to train in that room, Keith. It's good that you want to be around us more." That's not actually why. I just don't want anyone knowing where I usually train. I like that space, it's a space that only I know; well, besides Allura and Coran. However, I don't think they'll be looking for it anytime soon. "Guess it's my inner want to be a part of the team." Shiro's eyes widen. "You're already part of the team." I chuckle. "You know what I mean. I suck at talking to everyone else. I even had you go see if Lance was OK." Shiro looks away, almost as if what I said had saddened him. "Keith, you will always be an important part of the team; whether you want to believe it or not." I jolt a little. "Y-You think so?" He smiles. "I do." We get to the room and it's empty. "Guess it's just the two of us. What do you want to do Keith?" I think about it a little. "Well, I don't really have a sparring partner, so maybe close combat." Yeah, the AIs are all predictable since their programming has them single minded. I need someone who might do something crazy when cornered, someone alive. Shiro brings out one of the sparring swords. I go to grab one as well, but Shiro stops me. "Keith, why don't you use your bayard. It'll be better for real combat." I shake my head. "It's an actual sword against that dull one that was used years ago." Shiro smirks. "I think it'll be enough to withstand your attacks." I scoff. "If you say so." My bayard turns into a  sword and I get into my first stance. 

               I know Shiro's main attacks, and how he behaves in these kind of situations; so, if I could use that against him I can win. "Ready Keith?" I nod. "Ready." He charges toward me with the sword and I get ready to block. His force in the sword moves me, but I keep myself from falling. I use that to my advantage and attack him as he recovers from the charge. He tries to block my blade as it is inches away from his head. He trows me off and I land back on my feet. I whip my sword and run in a uneven pattern. He swings the sword and it hits my back sending me feet away, but I roll up back on my feet. I quickly turn and run, but slide under his legs with the handle hitting his legs and knocking him down. I use my hand to push me up and I go to aim my sword on him ending the match, but one of his legs swings taking mine down. I fall to the floor and he gets up. He swings the sword to end the match; however, I'm not done. I use the motion and send it through to my hands and lift myself up. The dull blade scratches my face and chest, but I now have the advantage. His eyes widen from the blood and he starts to panic. I take the blade on his sword and grip it as I send it up to knock him on the shoulder. The blunt force knocks him down and I take my now bloody sword and aim it at his head. "I win." His eyes stay wide as he sees the blood seeping from my face, chest, and hands. 

               "You're hardcore Keith." He gets up and grabs my hand. "We need to treat it." I pull my hand away. "Calm down Shiro. I just need band-aids." "Calm down!? Keith, I know you want to get strong but don't you think that was dangerous?" I instantly become confused. "Dangerous!? You want to talk to me about dangerous! I'm fine!" Shiro frowns. "You can't keep training like this. I won't allow it." Where is this even coming from!? I don't understand why he's become so mad! "You can't tell me how to train! I'm leaving!" I stomp away to the little clinic. I don't get it! We were just fine! I groan as I look at my bleeding hands. It always ends up like this.... if only he knew. I stop and look at the trail of blood I'm leaving. "Maybe.... it was a little much." I don't even know. The way I trained is the way I've always been though. I've always been like this. You're unique Keith, own it. I remember what Lance told me last night. I smile and let out a snicker. "He can be so dumb." "Who can?" I whip myself around to see Hunk. "Oh, hey Hunk." "Geez Keith, what did you do to yourself?" I look to see the blood staining my clothes. "Oh, training." Hunk sighs. "Good thing I don't train like you. Doesn't that hurt?" I blink a little in confusion. "Not really. This is how my training usually ends up." Hunk points at me. "You're the reason we're running out of band-aids!?" My eyes widen and I tense up. "....sorry?" He groans. "Ugh!Come on Keith. Let's fix you up."

               He walks with me tot he clinic and helps me clean up the cuts. "You know other people would like to have these band-aids right?" I sigh. "What kind of foods have you been even making to be needing band-aids?" He sulks. "I'm trying man. Making Earth food with all these alien stuff is hard." I start to laugh. "Sorry sorry. Didn't know it was a sensitive topic." He smiles. "Nah. Anyway, why is Shiro mad?" I freeze, and he notices. "He didn't like this I take it?" I nod. "He says I'm not allowed to train like this again and that I'm doing is dangerous." "Well I mean, it's not looking the best." He finishes the band-aids, and I stand up. "It doesn't matter. If I want to get stronger I need to work harder, even if that means my body suffers a little."You're unique Keith, own it. I smirk. "It's just the way I am." I wave. "Thanks, Hunk." He tilts his head. "You're.... welcome?"

               I walk away and I see Shiro. I jog over. "Shiro!" He looks at me, and he frowns a little. I lift my hands. "I'm not here to fight." His face lightens to a surprised one. "Is that so?" I nod. "I just.... wanted to apologize." He smiles. "So you saw the problem?" "Yes, I was rude to you." "What?" I shake my head. "I know the way I train is harmful, but after a while I end up in the best shape I could ever be in. It's helped me a lot and I've come a long way. However, there still is more I can do. So I won't be changing how I improve myself, but that doesn't mean I should attack you when you try to give your opinion." He crosses his arms, and I feel a little tense. "What I'm trying to say is, you were just trying to look out for me, and I appreciate it. I should've just calmly disagreed with you instead of yelling." He sighs as he scratches the back of his neck. "I see I won't be changing how you operate anytime soon." He smiles. "But I'll let it pass with you learning an important lesson. Thank you, Keith. I'm also sorry for raising my voice. I'm the leader, and I should act like one." He nods. "For you might be in the same shoes one day." I nervously chuckle. "No way. Me? You're kidding." His eyes lighten. "Try to take better care of yourself, even if just a little." I nod. "I will." I wave as I walk away and I feel great accomplishment. "Thank you, Lance." 

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